Amusement device



June 24, 1947. J, M LEACH MUSEMENT DEvIcE Fld Dec. 3, 1945 Paiemd Junevzag 1947 UNITED STATES` PATENT OFFICE i I I i 2,42a913 i i AivrUsEMENa` Davrca John M. Lema, Part Washington, N. Y. Appliean December v3, 1945, serial No. 832,873

when ejected and endangers the person who has opened the box. Furthermore, when the object ejected is a snake, much of the realistic actions of i a striking snake have not been present.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the foregoing and other defects of the priorart.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an amusement device which is much safer in use than prior art devices.

It is a further object of the present invention tolprovide a striking snake type of amusement device which embodies many of the characteristic actions of a striking reptile.V

Other objects and advantages, if not specifically pointed out, Will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of v what is now considered the preferred form of the present invention.

For a more detailed explanation of the present invention, reference is ma'deto the following description taken`in connection With the vaccompanying drawing throughout which the same reference characters refer to the same elements in the various views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of the apparatus of thev invention, partially broken away on one side to more clearly show the interior construction;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus of Figure l; I

Figure 3 is a central, cross sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the line 3-3 of Figure 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing the mechanism of the apparatus in a different position of operation;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the releas slide of the apparatus, and

Figure 6 is a perspective fragmentary view of part of the release mechanism of the apparatus.

Referring to Figure 1, the apparatus comprises an `outer casing lfl having a top, 12. The top |2 has an opening |4 formed therein and a tube 16 is suitably fastened to the top in substantial alig'nment with the opening |4. A flexible replica e olai'ms. (cl. 46-2146) of a Snake |8 is suitably fastened near the bottom of'the tube 16 as by means of a cross-pin 2d. The Snake i3 is formed of a spring 22, a suitable covering- 24`a'nd a shape'd head 26.

A release slide 28 is movable in a way 3d formed in a plate 32 attached to the underside of the top l2 and is supported vertically by another plate 34 suitably attached to the former plate 32. The slide 28 is positioned in the mouth of the tube i and retains the Snake IB compressed within the tube IG, as shown in Figure 3.

The release slide 28 is slotted as shown at 35 to permit av cable 3% to pass through it, as shown in Figure 3. The cable 38 is suitably connected at one end to a knob 4B and passes down through an opening 42 in the snake head 26 and passes over sheaves 42 'and '44 and on to a take-up reel 43 carried for rotation with a shaft 48 journaled for rotation in standards 553 carried by the plate `3`4. A take-up spring mechanism of well-known type 52 operates to spring-bias the rotation of the reel 4'6 inpa direction to wind the cable 38 thereon.

A slide 54 is sli'dable along the exterior of the tube"|6 and guided and held in position by a cleat 56. The slide 54 is provided at its lower end with a turned out portion 58 through which the cable 38 passes between the sheave 44 and the reel 46.

The opposite endof the slide 'is provided with .aplate B2 having an opening 69. A connector "64 is suitablypsecured in the opening in the plate 62 and passes over a sheave 66 journaled in Aan opening 68 formediin the plate 34 and is suitably fastened in a groove 10 formed in the underside of the slide release 28. The slide release is provided with a detent 12 which projects through an opening 14 m the casmg w.

A trip knob 16 is'suitably fastened at the proper position, as laterexplained, on the'cable 38.

The operation of the device is as follows:

Starting with the mechanism in the position illustrated in Figure 1, the user pulls the knob 4% upwardly to the position shown in Figure 3. This causes the cable 38 to unwind from the reel 46 and pass freely through the opening 42 in the head of the snake 26. When the trip knob 15 strikes the outturned portion on the slide 54 the slide is moved downwardly and moves the connector 64 which pulls the slide release 28 outwardly from the mouth of the tube |6 and releases the snake which Springs upwardly guided by the cable 38 until it Strikes the knob 40 held by the user to produce a realistie representation of a striking reptile, but without any danger of 3 harming the user, who may be a child or an unsuspecting adult.

To reset the mechanism, the snake is compressed into the tube l6 and the slide 28 is moved into position to retain the snake in compressed position by pushing the detent 12 which at that time extends from the casing Ill through the opening 14. 'I'he spring mechanism rewinds the cable 38 onto the reel 46 and the device is ready for use] i i Many changes may be made in the mechanical details of the apparatus of this invention without departing from the spirit of the invention, and the foregoing description of the apparatus is to be considered as explanatory only with the scope of the invention embodied in the claims which form a part of this disclosure.

The invention having been' described, What' is claimed is:

1. An amusement device comprising a casing, a resilient replica of a reptile contained therein, releasable mechanism holding the reptile in cornpressed condition within the casing, a cable within the casing, distinct from said releasable mechanism and having lateral guidable connection with the reptile, means for withdrawing the cable from the casing, and means operated by movement of the cable when it is at least in part withdrawn from the casing to release the releasable mechanism to permit the reptile to spring from the casing while laterally guided by the cable.

2. An amusement device comprising a casing having an opening, a spiral spring fastened at one end within said casing and positioned to extend through said opening when not compressed, a covering for said spring simulating a reptile, a cable extending axially through said spring, a reel rotatably mounted within said casing to which one end of said cable is connected, a knob without said casing to which the opposte end of said cable is connected, a spring connectedto said reel to urge rotation of said reel in a direction to wind said cable thereon, a release slide movably mounted within said casing so as to retain said spiral spring within said casing when the slide is in a given position, a trip mechanism interposed between said cable and said release slide, and an element carried by said cable so as to trip said mechanism and move said slide when a given length of said cable is withdrawn from interior of said reproduction, resilient means connecting said cable with said casing so as to tend to draw said cable within said casing, and a trip device for said release mechanism actuated by movement of said cable out of said casing to operate the said release mechanism and cause said reproduction to project itself through the opening in said casing while guided by said cable.

4. In a device of the type described, in combination a casing having an opening, a spring, a'releasable means for retaining the spring in compressed condition within said casing, a cable having lateral guidable relation with said spring, means by which said cable can be at least in part manually moved from said casing in the direction of movement of said spring which movement of said spring is due to expansion of said spring, 'and means actuated by such movement of sai'd cable to release said releasable means to permit said spring to emerge from said casing opening while laterally guided by the manually held cable.

5. In a device of thetype described, in combination a casing having an opening, a spring, a releasable means for retaining the spring in compressed condition within said casing,- an elongated member having lateral guided relation with said spring, means by which said member can be at least in part manually moved from said casing in the direction of movement of said spring which movement of said spring is due to expansion of said spring, and means actuated by movement of said member to release said releasable means to permit said spring to emerge from said casing opening While laterally guided by said manually held member.

6. In a device of the type described, in combination a casing having an opening, a spring, a replica carried by said spring, a releasable means for retaining the spring in compressed condition within said casing, a cable having lateral guided relation with said spring, means by which said cable can be at least in part manually moved from said casing in the direction of movement of said spring which movement of said spring is due to expansion of said spring, and a member carried by said cable to release said releasable means to permitsaid lspring to emerge from said casing opening while laterally guided by, the manually held cable.

JOHN M. LEACH.

REFEREN CES CITED UNITED STATES PATETS Name ,Date Sweeney May 20, 1913 Number 

